


The Perfect Prom

by SosaLola



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-21
Updated: 2015-12-21
Packaged: 2018-05-08 05:05:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5484548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SosaLola/pseuds/SosaLola
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After coming across Angel post-break up, Buffy isn’t in the highest of spirits.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Perfect Prom

**Title:** The Perfect Prom (Written for the [Whedon Secret Santa](http://whedonsecretsanta.tumblr.com/post/131828548023/whedon-secret-santa-2015-what-is-whedon-secret) on Tumblr)  
 **Character:** Buffy, Cordelia  
 **Setting:** S3, Episode: The Prom  
 **Summary:** After coming across Angel post-break up, Buffy isn’t in the highest of spirits.  
  
Written for **annesteele** who requested: Buffy/Cordelia friendship or romance.  
  
Great thanks to [](http://rebcake.livejournal.com/profile)[**rebcake**](http://rebcake.livejournal.com/) for being my awesome beta!

 

 

 

  
  
The walk back to school seemed long and endless. Buffy tried to stride tall and strong, but all she could manage was an aimless stagger with a side of lonely. Her recent encounter with Angel at the meat packing plant put an extra downer on her already lousy day. He looked… sad and guilty. Definite brood action. Didn’t matter though. He’d made his choice, and they were over.  
  
 _Over_. That word stung sharper than expected. Thinking about him wouldn’t do her any good. She had a new goal: the perfect prom for her friends. She’d make sure every single one of them would have a grand night. She’d promised them.   
  
The note she’d taken from the packer slipped from her hand and fell to the pavement. The wind caught it and pinned it against the wall of the April Fools dress shop. Heaving a sigh, Buffy walked over, pried off the piece of paper and stuffed it into the pocket of her leather coat.  
  
She knew that any chance of giving her friends the happiest night of their lives depended on a full and complete hellhound slayage. The sooner the better.  
  
As she was about to continue her lonely trudge to school, she glanced through the smashed front window of the store and caught a glimpse of Cordelia inside the shop. What was she doing in there? Wasn’t she supposed to be at Tucker’s house with Wesley?   
  
Buffy’s frown deepened when Cordelia started showing a woman a dress – since when did Cordelia generously offer fashion tips to strangers? Curiosity led her to walk into the shop, its bell announcing her entrance. Cordelia twirled around with a phony smile that abruptly deserted her lips at the sight of her.   
  
“Buffy!” she exclaimed, shoving the dress in her hand toward the woman she was talking to. “Maybe that girl over there can help you.” She indicated with her chin at a blonde salesgirl hanging a couple of dresses on a nearby rack.   
  
“Hey,” Buffy said softly, glancing at the displeased woman walking away in a huff. “Thought you were at Tucker’s house.”  
  
“I was. Complete bust.” Cordelia barely looked at her, too busy eyeing the woman complaining to the salesgirl, who nodded her head with a tight smile. The woman threw the dress on a rack and stormed outside the shop.   
  
The salesgirl grabbed the dress and walked over to Cordelia. She cast a swift glance at Buffy. “Please, tell me this girl is a customer.”  
  
Cordelia looked between her and Buffy awkwardly. “Uh… she’s just leaving.”  
  
“Chase, thank your stars Mrs. Finkel isn’t here.” She rolled her eyes in disappointment and handed Cordelia the dress. “You better get back to work.”  
  
“I know,” Cordelia muttered, slipping the dress on a hanger and placing it on the rack. She started fiddling with and rearranging the dresses.   
  
“Are you… are you working here?” Buffy asked, noting how Cordelia was busying herself so she wouldn’t look at her.   
  
Cordelia stopped what she was doing and turned to face Buffy with a defeated sigh. “Well, guess there’s no way around it. Yes, Buffy, I work here.”  
  
Buffy tried not to look too sympathetic. Clearly, Cordelia didn’t want anybody to notice her situation. She’d tried to keep them from coming to this shop earlier today. She must have been working here for some time.   
  
Cordelia pursed her lips when she didn’t receive a response and looked away. “I’m about to finish my shift, so if you don’t mind…”  
  
Buffy nodded. “I’ll see you at the prom, then.”  
  
“Yeah, don’t count on it.” Then came a bitter laugh that didn’t suit Cordelia. “No prom dress.”  
  
“That’s no reason not to go.”   
  
“Right. And risk being called an outfit repeater? I invented that term.” She made her way to the fitting rooms and pulled the curtain shut behind her.   
  
Buffy walked after her and snapped the curtain open. Cordelia was looking over a couple of dresses that were left there. “Cordelia, I promised you a fun prom and I’m going to deliver.”  
  
“That’s sweet, Buffy, but getting rid of a hellhound isn’t gonna shield me from cruel mockery.” She grabbed a couple of hangers and strutted out of the fitting room. “Not to mention my lack of date.”   
  
“I don’t have a date either.” Cordelia stopped at that and looked at Buffy with a frown. Buffy simply shrugged. “Going stag and everything.”  
  
“What about Angel? Thought you two were going together. What? He’s too old and cool for a high school prom?”  
  
“We’ve split up.” That pink dress over there was easier to look at than Cordelia’s face.   
  
There was a short pause. “When?”  
  
“Last night.”  
  
“The night before prom? That’s a prince.”  
  
Buffy felt a smile tug at her lips at the sarcastic comment.   
  
“I’m really sorry, Buffy.”  
  
She looked up, touched by the sincerity in Cordelia’s eyes. “Thanks.”   
  
Cordelia went to the other fitting room to gather up more dresses. Buffy watched her work in silence, fighting the urge to grab a dress and give her a hand. She perked up when Cordelia hung the last dress. “Tell you what, why don’t we go to prom together? After I slay the hellhound.”  
  
Cordelia raised an eyebrow. “You mean like we did on Homecoming?”  
  
“Except cleaner and with better hair.”   
  
Cordelia didn’t look convinced.   
  
“It may not be the perfect high school moment. For either of us. But at least we won’t be home alone on prom night.”  
  
“Guess showing up is less pathetic.” Cordelia shrugged. “Who knows, we may have fun.”  
  
“It’s a date.” Buffy grinned, then tapped the pocket of her coat. “Well, better run. Gotta show Giles what I found.”  
  
“We can go together. My shift is over.” Cordelia went behind the counter to grab her coat. She and Buffy were about to leave when the salesgirl stopped them.   
  
“Hey, don’t forget your dress. Aren’t you wearing it tonight?” She held a garment bag in her hand.   
  
Cordelia bit on her lip. “As much as I hate to admit it, I haven’t finished paying for it yet.”  
  
The girl checked the receipt and then handed the dress to Cordelia. “Well, somebody did.”  
  
“What? Who?” Cordelia looked stunned as she stared at the name of her benefactor.   
  
Buffy peered at the receipt and smiled when she spotted Xander’s name on it. She gave Cordelia a light nudge. “Things are looking up.”  
  
  


~*~*~*~*~

  
  
  
  
And they kept looking up, Cordelia thought, clapping her hands and smiling as Buffy walked toward the stage to receive her Class Protector award. Jonathan knelt to hand her the glittering umbrella – which she found a bit tacky, but the sentiment behind it was what mattered. Buffy turned around and smiled at the applauding audience, and then her eyes locked with Cordelia’s. A matching triumphant smile passed between them, one that nobody would understand but them.   
  
The night was still young, more highlights ahead; like Wesley asking to her to dance. Beautiful dress and a hot date – obviously a mature older English man was a million steps ahead of a first rate baseball jock asshole. Take that John Lee!   
  
Her satisfied smile grew bigger when she caught Buffy and Angel dancing – so he wasn’t a total dud after all.   
  
No one would believe her genuine happiness for Buffy since they weren’t always close. But when it counted, they’d always been there for each other. Buffy had her back, and she was proud to have been there for her, too.

  
  
  
**The End.**


End file.
